Some reason why X is no longer my cruise line of choice

[MoYerclan]

Just got off the Reflection last week and can't recall ever feeling assaulted by overly loud music?? Sure there were live performances of short duration here and there around the ship, but even they weren't intrusive. And they weren't continuous by any means.

There were *plenty* of quiet spots to enjoy silence also- the Hangout, the Library, the new game room, etc.

[chessbriar]

One thing I have found recently is the difference between the S class ships and the M class ships. The M class is Celebrity through and through. Excellent service, crew, food. Even many crew members prefer the smaller M class.

 

The bigger the ship, the harder it is to provide the same level of service. We just got of Summit and it was fantastic.

 

HAL doesn't have the big ships. M class or smaller. It allows for much better service.

 

Enjoy

[h20cruzer]

Michael, saw you more than once in cafe al bacio on the Reflection TA in November. Sadly some of the HAL ships Zandaam, where to sit the library or computer room really no seats just an after thought where they put the coffee bar. I remeber when those coffee drinks used to be free on HAL.

 

 

MARTINI BAR need I say more......

 

For us the HAL ships have been very comfortable, large cabins, a slanted ladder into the pool.

IMO its dead at night, also never saw many people in the bars, to me not as social as X.

 

Try it, if you like it let us all know.

[Murray's Pop]

This has been a very interesting thread. We have cruised HAL extensively for years and love them. We have also cruised RCCL, and NCL, but keep coming back to HAL.

 

We are doing our first cruise on Celebrity this fall on the Century. Why? Not because HAL has "let us down", but to try something different. We have friends who cruise on X exclusively and other friends who prefer Princess, and both had very good reason to try their preferred line. We had originally booked a Princess cruise for fall, then changed to X when a more interesting deal/itinerary came up on the Century.

 

We have never been disappointed on any of our HAL cruises. Beautiful ships, great food and excellent service. We are hoping for the same experience on X to be able to expand our choices and not be limited to 1 or 2 cruise lines.

[joschus]

I'd like to chime in with my view on the loud music issue. We just took a Reflection cruise over Christmas and I never once even noticed loud music anywhere on the ship. The only place where it would get loud was during a show at the foot of the elevators and this was a rather short show. Someone above mentioned the Martini Bar as being overly noisy. On the Reflection, one could easily talk to people 4-5 people downline at the bar.

 

I'm also one who HATES loud senseless music of any form - so I would have noticed it. Maybe different cruises offer different noise levels but this seems odd too.

[miched]

Why do people have to convince anyone to cruise on a certain cruise line or give a reason why they don't want to cruise on it? If there is a line that I don't like anymore I just ignore it and move on. If someone else is happy with a different line I don't try to convince them to try the one that I like because I feel it is better. There is no incentive for me to do either.

 

 

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[Lois R]

One thing I have found recently is the difference between the S class ships and the M class ships. The M class is Celebrity through and through. Excellent service, crew, food. Even many crew members prefer the smaller M class.

 

The bigger the ship, the harder it is to provide the same level of service. We just got of Summit and it was fantastic.

 

HAL doesn't have the big ships. M class or smaller. It allows for much better service.

 

Enjoy

 

Hi Rick:) welcome home. Glad you and the family had fun on Summit:D

[phoenix_dream]

I am one who has occasionally had issues with the music on Celebrity ships, but overall it is my favorite cruiseline by far and it is only with great reluctance that I will sometimes try another line.

 

What music issues do I mean? I absolutely hate the design of S class with the loud music in the atrium. We had a room near the elevators and we could hear the music well into the evening (near midnight if I recall). Was it really disturbing? No. But when you can hear it four or five floors up behind closed doors I think that qualifies as loud IMHO. It would also assault your eardrums every time you walked from one end of the ship to the other, regardless of what floor you were on. I think of Celebrity as quiet elegance, and that is not it. My main issue with it is that it is not enclosed in an area you can avoid if you wish - it permeates many floors and a large area.

 

I also used to regularly sail in outside cabins with no balcony and would look to public places to sit quietly and read (like closed bar areas). Last few times I have tried to do that, there is always, always piped in music in the background. It is sometimes loud and sometimes not, but I enjoyed the quiet, which can no longer be found. On S class, there are also fewer places on deck where you can find a quiet spot to read in a lounge chair.

 

Overall is this a big deal? Well, certainly not a deal breaker. I just wanted to give a little more explanation about what some of us mean by the noise. I personally have never had issues in the theater, and certainly not the dining room (other than it is fairly noisy just due to the large number of people - but that's just how it is). I would not avoid Celebrity because of it, but I wish they would tone it done (and perhaps based on more recent comments, they have)

[Germancruiser]

phoenix dream- I could not agree more! I too like a nice quite spot to read- well the only ones on board S- Class where up on the Solstice Deck and in the very front of ship. Very nice and quite " nooks"!

The constant irritating background music would not have been the deal breaker- but it just summed up. Now I am thinking of giving Cunard another try. I sailed QM 2 once and it really a great ship! Food wise Celebrity wins hands down! So if only X- would at least stop that constant background music everywhere- EVERYWHERE!

Michael

[reefisher]

I totally agree about the "ambient" music. Our first X cruise was last may on the Century. It was a great cruise over all but the ambient music was so loud, in the buffet, in the lounges, sunset bar. People were requesting it to be turned down. Usually it wasn't. And because all tastes must be accomidated, there was county and rap. Our wine steward on that cruise was so bad. The first night I had to literally yell at her to get her attention and then the wine arrived during dessert to be CHILLED. I asked for another steward but was not accomidated. No wine for us that cruise. The CD however was the best ever I have experienced. Second cruise on X was later last year in Sept. on the Millenium. Great food, good wine service this time, great party band, LOUD "ambient music in all the places before mentioned. It kind of like noisy restaurants that think if it is loud it must be fun and popular.

[Germancruiser]

I know many don´t like the way X has decided to take, but still we seem the minority LOL! They may have the best service , wonderful etc etc. I also could turn a blind eye on the non existent Prommenade Deck ( Solstice Class)The alltogether a triffle " dark" feeling throughout the ship, esp, Cellar Masters and Esemble Lounge, also that there are not many possibilities to SEE the sea- on the Decks were public lounges are! BUT THIS MUSIC - NO GO- for me!

Michael

[br.carlos]

Sorry for asking this, but it would be really nice if you guys complaining about loud music could let us know how old you are.

It seems to me that to older people "loud" techno is awful, but you should consider that to younger people Sinatra is awful as well. Money wise, i'm 100% sure that younger people generates more drinks revenue on "loud" bars than older people drinking two or three martinis all night long while dancing slow music. Besides, i don't mind if there is a piano bar, Sinatra, slow dance or anything like that, IF there is a place where the younger crowd can meet and have fun. Believe me, this includes loud music and plenty of drinks.

(Note: There is a difference between, house, lounge, trance, etc.. What kind of electronic music are we talking about?)

[slp123]

We regularly cruise on HAL and my group of co-travelers are all non-smokers and don't like being anywhere near it. That being said we have always had a veranda cabin on HAL and until reading this thread never even realize that HAL allowed smoking on balconies as I have never smelled any cigarette smoke on any of my last 5 cruises on HAL.

 

Although we have cruised on Azamara (a division of Celebrity cruises) we have never been on a Celebrity cruise. I am disappointed to hear that music is pumped into all hallways and outdoor decks all the time. I rather choose my own music and listen with headphones or have no music and enjoy the sound of wind and sea and not someone else's idea of pleasant muzak.

 

As for one line over the other, each line has its merits and no line is perfect. We tend to cruise on 1 of 4 lines and maybe Celebrity will become a 5th. And though it is certainly not the best way to achieve elite status, the variety we find enjoyable, taking smaller ships for port intensive sight seeing journeys and larger ships when sun relaxation and the ship itself are the focus of the cruise.